XN000022-1981-08-12 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1981

SQUATTER VILLAGERS HELP IMPROVE LIVING CONDITIONS

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WHEN POSTMAN LEE TAT-CHOI RETIRED EARLY THIS MONTH, RESIDENTS OF CHU KOO CHAI VILLAGE FEARED THAT THE DELIVERY OF MAIL TO THEIR HOUSES MIGHT BECOME A PROBLEM.

FOR POSTMAN LEE HAD DELIVERED LETTERS TO THIS TINY SQUATTER AREA IN TAI HANG TUNG, SHAM SHUI PO FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND KNEW THE VILLAGERS AND HIS WAY ABOUT THE NARROW, CRISS-CROSSED AND IRREGULAR FOOTPATHS.

THE VILLAGERS ARE, HOWEVER, NOW REASSURED IN LEARNING THAT, + THOUGH MR LEE WILL NOT BE MAKING HIS ROUNDS, HE WILL BE +REPLACED+ BY THREE LARGE COMMUNAL-TYPE POST BOXES TO BE SET UP AT CONVENIENT LOCATIONS INSIDE THE VILLAGE.

EACH POST BOX WILL CONSIST OF 100 LOCKED AND NUMBERED COMPARTMENTS, SO THAT THE 300 HOUSEHOLDS OF THE VILLAGE WILL HAVE POST BOXES OF THEIR OWN.

THE SETTING UP OF THE POST BOXES IS ONLY ONE OF THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH THE RESIDENTS OF THE SQUATTER AREA - HELPED BY THE GOVERNMENT - ARE ENDEAVOURING TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS.

NOW THE LARGEST SQUATTER AREA IN SHAM SHUI PO DISTRICT, CHU KOO CHAI VILLAGE IS MADE UP MOSTLY OF DOMESTIC UNITS WHILE THE REMAINING FEW ARE RATTAN-WARE WORKSHOPS, SOME FLOWER FARMS, A FEW PIGSTIES AND A LARD-BOILING FACTORY,

WITH UNPAVED AND MUDDY ALLEYS, GUTTERS THAT OVERFLOWED WHEN IT RAINED AND INADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY AND RECREATIONAL AMENITIES, LIVING CONDITIONS FOR THE 2 000 VILLAGERS COULD HARDLY BE DESCRIBED AS SATISFACTORY.

THROUGH THE CO-ORDINATION OF THE SHAM SHUI PO DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FORMED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, AND WITH ASSISTANCE FROM VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE DISTRICT, RESIDENTS HAVE BEGUN A SERIES OF CLEAN-UP OPERATIONS AND

CONSTRUCTION WORKS AIMED AT IMPROVING THE OVERALL LIVING ENVIRONMENT.

AT THE START, REFUSE AND JUNK PILED IN ALLEYWAYS WERE REMOVED, GUTTERS AND NULLAHS WERE CLEARED AND MUDDY ROAD SURFACES WERE PAVED AND WIDENED.

TWO PIECES OF LAND MADE AVAILABLE BY THE CLEARANCE HAVE BEEN CONVERTED INTO A PURPOSE-BUILT AND SCREENED-OFF REFUSE COLLECTION CENTRE AND A SMALL AMENITY AREA EQUIPPED WITH SITTING BENCHES, FLOWER POTS AND A TABLE-TENNIS TABLE.

WORK IS ALSO UNDERWAY TO DEMOLISH THE LARD-BOILING FACTORY AND PIGSTIES WHICH HAVE BEEN THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE POLLUTION AND FLOODING NUISANCE OF THE AREA.

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